About

Knocki: Make Any Surface Smart

$1,144,399

pledged of $35,000 goal

8,897

backers

Turn Any Surface into a Remote Control

Technology should make our lives easier, so why does controlling it feel so complicated? An endless maze of mobile apps, smart switches, and other interfaces create a confusing and fragmented experience.

We believe there's a better way - Knocki offers the simplest, most natural, and accessible way to control the world around you. You've never seen anything like it!

The Basics

Using Knocki is easy. Just tap simple gestures anywhere on a Knocki-enabled surface to automate all kinds of useful actions. Make your ordinary surroundings do more.

Why reach for a phone, a remote, or a switch to perform your favorite functions? There's another control interface that's always within reach - the world around you, and you can activate it with Knocki.

Can your table turn on a TV or dim the lights? With Knocki discreetly mounted underneath, the entire surface becomes capable and connected. Knocki adds magical simplicity wherever you use it.

A Few of the Many Use Cases

Who is Knocki for?

Knocki isn't just for people with smart homes or high-tech offices. Knocki works well anywhere with a WiFi internet connection. It allows you to "tap" into many powerful functions, even if your only smart device is an iPhone or Android phone.

Knocki is the easiest way to add "smarts" to your existing home, without the wiring, installation, complexity and expense of many alternative smart home control systems.

But if you already have a few smart devices, you can immediately expand what Knocki can do, and transform "dumb" surfaces all around your home or office into intelligent interfaces.

Bottom line, if you'd like technology to work for you, instead of the other way around, you'll appreciate the power of Knocki!

You can put Knocki on, under, or behind surfaces anywhere!

Attach Knocki on walls, under tables, behind shelves or nightstands, behind your front door, and more! Knocki can be placed in plain sight, or mounted invisibly under or behind surfaces so only you know its there.

Each Knocki includes a special mount featuring our patent-pending SurfaceLink™ technology to ensure a solid connection to a surface for transmission of gesture signals. Knocki's mount can be secured using the included 3M removable tape, or with screws (also included).

Setup is Easy!

Setting up your Knocki is easy and just takes a few minutes. Start by connecting Knocki to your WiFi network and use the free Knocki companion app to link all your devices and accounts.

After Knocki is mounted to a surface, define the unique gestures to trigger your actions (up to 10 gestures), and you've instantly created a powerful smart surface! The process is simple, and once it's done, Knocki will keep working (via WiFi) even if your phone is turned off or away!

With Knocki installed on a surface, the surface instantly becomes a powerful and programmable remote control, even many feet away from where Knocki is attached.

Knocki uses non-acoustic sensor technology to detect gentle surface gestures even a distance away, but Knocki also has the intelligence to filter out random vibrations. Therefore, Knocki works under busy breakfast tables and other "high-activity" surfaces.

Gently Tap or Knock

Knocki reliably identifies simple gestures defined by taps or knocks on a surface. Gestures can be defined by a quantity (two, three, four, or more taps), or even by more complex patterns (two taps + three taps) for more secure functions.

For example, a double tap can be set to turn on a light, and a more elaborate sequence (two triple taps followed by a double tap) can be used to unlock a smart lock.

One Knocki can store up to 10 unique gestures, turning any surface into a remote control with many functions.

A gesture can trigger a single action (e.g. "find phone"), or a set of actions (e.g. "door locked" + "lights off" + "home security armed").

Our Patent-Pending Technology

Knocki deciphers deliberate taps and knocks from random vibrations in the environment to minimize false positives.

Knocki uses non-acoustic sensor technology that is NOT triggered by or affected by sound. Thus, multiple Knockis can coexist in the same room without conflict (as long as they are on separate surfaces). For example, you can setup one Knocki behind your nightstand, and another behind the nightstand of your partner!

Advanced power-budgeting delivers over 12 months of battery life using AAA batteries. (Please always use mercury free batteries, or better yet, rechargeable batteries! We like this planet).

Some of the Platforms Knocki Supports:

We're constantly adding integrations with new smart home platforms, devices, and software. Our commitment is to make Knocki more capable over time, and connected to the leading technology of tomorrow.

Knocki's capabilities will continue to expand as we add new partners, update the mobile app, and even push out OTA hardware updates.

What About Voice Control?

Voice control is everywhere. Services like Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa can simplify tasks, but often don’t work as expected.

Here are a few of the problems:

Background sounds: Music or a TV playing in the background can render voice-control useless. Knocki uses non-acoustic sensors so it works just as well if you’re jamming to music, watching the evening news, or if people are talking in the background.

Can Disturb Others: Voice control is problematic in quiet environments such as a shared office or in bedrooms where you don’t want to disturb others. Knocki’s advanced accelerometer technology responds to gentle taps that others won’t hear.

It Often Misunderstands: Did you say “where is Rome” or “navigate home?” Voice technology is finicky, especially with kids, elderly, and people with accents who might not enunciate in the required way. Knocki uses simple tap/knock gestures, and our patent-pending technology to perform reliably whether you tap fast, slow, hard, or soft.

Can’t use multiple voice controllers in the same space: Good luck putting a voice controller on your nightstand, and then another one on your partner’s nightstand. You’ll have both controllers responding simultaneously creating smart home chaos. Knocki recognizes gestures on a specific surface so you can have multiple Knockis in the same room or other space without conflict. Knocki allows you to personalize controls to the surfaces near you.

What about Smart Switches and Buttons?

Smart buttons and switches can also automate tasks, but they have a few “pressing” problems.

Don’t blend in: Wall switches and buttons aren’t so pretty to look at. Knocki can be placed under or behind surfaces, so you don’t even have to see it to use it. But if you do mount it within view, it blends beautifully with your surfaces.

Must be pressed or flipped: Physical buttons and switches must be within physical reach in order to be used. Knocki turns an entire surface into a remote control, so you can trigger actions from anywhere, without needing to visually or physically locate a specific spot. (Also great for kids, physically impaired, and elderly who can’t reach a switch).

Not as reliable or responsive: Most buttons rely on Bluetooth, so they require a phone to be turned on, paired to the button, and within range in order to function. Unlike smart buttons, Knocki uses WiFi to trigger actions directly, without going through a phone. This allows Knocki to work instantly without the lag of bluetooth, and even if your phone is off.

Limited functionality: Many smart switches/buttons only perform a single on/off function, or are limited to only a few press patterns. Knocki can provide quick and easy control of a few functions for most users, but power users can go wild with up to 10 gestures per Knocki-enabled surface, allowing their entire tables, walls, furniture and other surfaces to control thousands of devices via IFTTT, SmartThings, Wemo, and more!

Our Free Companion App (iOS & Android): Only necessary for device setup. The app allows you to easily connect Knocki to your WiFi and quickly add up to 10 gestures per Knocki device. You can manage multiple Knockis from one account. The app also allows you to monitor battery life, connectivity status, and view activity logs.

Quick Setup Guide: Get up and running in no time!

Making an Impact

Knocki can make a difference in anyone's life. However, it can be truly life-changing for people with mobility or vision impairments who are unable to reach or visually locate a switch, button, or phone. Knocki also improves accessibility for children and the elderly.

Rewards

We are thankful, honored, and humbled by the overwhelming response by our backers. Your support enables us to reach the numbers required to place our first production order at a reduced cost per unit. It also helps us maintain our company's growth and expand our team.

Update: In order to help get Knocki out to as many people as possible, we've decided to extend our popular Super Early Bird rate for a limited period of time.

After the Super Early Bird rate runs out, you'll still be able get Knocki at the higher Early Bird rate (which is also discounted), but it's worthwhile to get the Super Early Bird while you still can.

Stretch Goals

The response from backers around the world to our campaign has been absolutely amazing. Your feedback and suggestions have helped us introduce new features and options you'll love!

Stretch Goal #1: HTTP Requests & Sonos Integration

This highly popular stretch goal is officially UNLOCKED!

Stretch Goal #2: Knocki Black Edition

Black Edition is UNLOCKED!

While our standard Knocki is designed to look gorgeous on walls and blend well with many other surfaces, Knocki Black Edition offers a stealthier style when mounted underneath tables or behind furniture, and also complements a wide variety of surfaces.

How to Request Black Edition (instead of the standard design):

By default, all pledges are for the standard design. However, after the Kickstarter campaign is over, you'll have the option to choose whether to keep the standard design, or swap your whole order for the Black Edition. There's no additional cost to swap.

How to Get Both Versions: Standard AND Black Edition:

Start by selecting a pledge-level for the number of Knockis you'd like with the standard design. When calculating your pledge amount total, add an additional $79 for each Black Edition you want to add. If you select a multi-pack pledge, add another $69 for each Black Edition Knocki!

Stretch Goal #3: Open API

Our open API stretch goal is UNLOCKED!

Our Timeline

Our Story

Co-founders Jake & Ohad have been friends for years, but their "aha moment" happened more recently over a family get-together. They were watching one of their small children stacking up boxes to reach a light switch. That observation led them to ask a simple question, "Why not turn walls and other common surfaces into control interfaces?"

That was the spark that set them on their path to develop Knocki, and this Kickstarter campaign marks an exciting milestone. Building a successful company, growing a talented team, and developing an amazing product is full of hard work and perseverance, and we thank you for supporting us as we bring Knocki to the world!

We Couldn't Do It Alone

Our growing team has been working hard over the past year to develop Knocki, but we couldn't have done it without the support of others!

Our Team

Talent, hard work, and a great idea are a recipe for success, and our team has all three. If there's one thing our team could use a little more of, it's sleep! Thanks to everyone on our team for the amazing work and dedication.

What People Think

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A Special Thanks

We'd like to give a very special thanks to Poetic Systems, for helping us develop a scalable, secure, and delightful user experience. We'd also like to thank Film Lab Creative for creating a beautiful video!

Risks and challenges

Knocki isn't some far-fetched idea hacked together in a garage. We're a serious start-up with a growing full-time team, seed-funding, a production ready working prototype, and lots of exciting momentum.

We've finalized designs and have engaged a proven domestic manufacturer so we can be on the ground-floor watching the birth of Knocki! We also have the support of two accelerators (Seed Sumo & TechrIoT) who have helped us along the way. It's safe to say that we've reduced many of the risks typical of a hardware startup!

However, as with any newly manufactured product, it's possible for unexpected events to impact the actual production time frame. On the positive end of the spectrum, we might deliver them earlier than expected, but we can't rule out the possibility of some delay.

Our commitment to all of you is that we will make every effort to deliver you an exceptional product, on time, and will communicate with you regularly along our journey of getting Knocki delivered to you!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 319 or more
About US$ 319

SUPER EARLY BIRD - FIVE PACK
Get (5) Knocki devices to transform your whole environment into the most awesome control interface. The Knocki five pack is excellent for making any home a Smart Home or to enhance your current Smart Home.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 379 or more
About US$ 379

EARLY BIRD - FIVE PACK
Get (5) Knocki devices to transform your whole environment into the most awesome control interface. The Knocki five pack is excellent for making any home a Smart Home or to control your current Smart Home.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 479 or more
About US$ 479

Kickstarter Regular - FIVE PACK
Get (5) Knocki devices to transform your whole environment into the most awesome control interface. The Knocki five pack is excellent for making any home a Smart Home or to control your current Smart Home.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge US$ 10,000
About US$ 10,000

FOUNDERS PACK
Get (5) Knocki devices each with a custom metallic ring finish.
Get (1) custom Knocki that you design with colors/finishing you love.
Fly to our HQ and meet the team! Join us for dinner, be part of the closed Beta test and be part of our development process.
Get support directly from one of the Co-Founders with a direct line of contact via phone and e-mail.
Get access to ANY Alpha and Beta test for all current and future products we develop. This never expires.